The contents of people’s bags reveal a lot about their personalities

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What's in your bag?

Jason Travis, or J Trav, as he is most commonly known, set out in November 2007 to produce a series titled Persona, a collection of photos highlighting individuals and what they deem necessary for their everyday travels. His diptych series, as he explains in an interview with The SuperSlice, was “born out of curiosity, experimenting with portraiture, and a love of Wes Anderson.”

His photographs capture people in a relaxed, happy state, along with a shot of their belongings in an organized, aesthetically pleasing manner. Just by looking into the pockets and bags of others, you would be surprised about what you can learn about their personalities.

Even though he has been working on the project for over eight years, Travis shares with ­­­­­My Modern Met that he still finds himself amazed at what people present for him to photograph. “I think some of the more obscure items are the ones that I would never imagine to be in someone’s bag such as a shovel, gun, calliper, Terra cards, whiskey, harmonica, half eaten slice of cake, surf board wax, bag of coffee, and the list goes on.”

His work has been admired worldwide and all reactions seem to be quite similar. Viewers have recognized how the series beautifully expresses every person’s uniqueness, though it also expresses how many people carry similar items, uniting viewers in terms of what people feel is important to have with them at all times.

In addition to photographing individuals and their belongings, Travis also works as a graphic designer and as a photographer for weddings and the magazine, Purge ATL. Along with working on his personal projects, he is also the front man of an Atlantic dance rock band called Sealions.